The Best Way to Control Multiple Computers with a Single Keyboard and Mouse

What’s the best way to control multiple computers with a single keyboard and mouse? InputDirector.

Using multiples computers in a single space has always been a pain. All those keyboards, displays, and mice not only take up a considerable amount of space but moving from one to another can frustrating. In the past the only solution was to use a KVM (Keyboard, Video, Mouse) to share a mouse and keyboard between multiple computers. A KVM was a piece of hardware with a bunch of cables coming out that allowed you to hook one keyboard and mouse into multiple computers. They did make life easier, but they were clunky to use and required hardware toggles or keyboard controls to switch. Thankfully, there are plenty of software based options these days and I’ve put several through the paces…. here’s my lightening review.

What You’ll Need to Control Multiple Computers:

Two or more computers on the same local network.

A software based KVM.

THAT’S IT!

Software KVM’ to Control Multiple Computers:

Thankfully, there are quite a few software based KVM solutions today that can be used to control multiple computers. Here are the ones I’ve tried:

Of those listed above Multiplicity and Input Director are Windows only. The others on the list are cross platform and will allow you to share between OSX, Windows, and sometimes Linux. In the past I had a need to be cross platform when I needed to control multiple computers, but since I decided I REALLY couldn’t stand OSX (personal preference… nothing against you Apple guys) I’m back to an all Windows environment. Since this is a lightening review, I’ll touch on my experience with each as quickly as possible.

Synergy
Synergy is one of the older cross platform software KVM’s used to control multiple computers around. Here’s my review: I couldn’t even get it to work. Perhaps with some tinkering I could have but in today’s world I expect apps to be install, run, and up and working.

Mouse Without Borders
This is a new application that comes from Microsoft’s Garage (MS’s after-hours pet project program). Setup was easy as pie and the application looks nice. However, after using it for a little while I can’t recommend it. The application simply couldn’t keep up for my needs to control multiple computers, as you can see in my review here.

Multiplicity
Multiplicity comes from Stardock, a company I was a huge fan of back in the XP days (their Windowblinds application let me remove the FisherPrice “My First PC” look and replace it with something slick). Multiplicity does everything I wanted it to do and performance was fine and it easily allows you to control multiple computers. The downside to this application is that you have to pay for it… and let’s face it, with free alternatives why would I do that?

ShareMouse
ShareMouse is what I used when I had an OSX machine on my network and needed to control multiple computers. Performance was acceptable, installation was simple, and it just worked. Sharemouse however, like the others listed above, don’t hold a candle to next to what I consider the clear winner… (Note: See update below)

Input DirectorInput Director installed easily, configuration was simple, and it just worked. In addition to that it offers the most features of all the applications I tried. You can share the mouse and keyboard, have a shared clipboard, and move file between the systems. Input Director has multiple monitor support and encrypted network traffic (AES with a 128, 192 or 256bit key)… all standard stuff for a software KVM used to control multiple computers.

Here’s where Input Director starts to shine though… it will allow you to lock all computers and once, synchronise the screensavers on all computers, as well as the shutdown of all machine simultaneously (or individually configure whether a computer goes to standby, hibernate or shuts down).

Unlike most other software KVM’s you can configure InputDirector as to WHEN and how it will transition your mouse to another screen. For instance, I set mine to only go to the next PC after the mouse has been on the corner for a few milliseconds. This feature is really handy as it helps prevent accidentally moving to the other screen. Other screen control features include being able to tell it to only transition when you double tap the mouse on the screen edge, limit screen transition to only the corners of your screen, or only via hotkeys. You can also tell it to perform a ripple effect when the cursor jumps screen so that you have a quick, visual indication of which screen the mouse is on.

But wait… there’s more! If you really want power features Input Director has you covered:

Choose to use your mouse (speed, button order) preferences when directing another system

Supports different keyboard layouts

The keyboard LEDs (Caps Lock, Scroll Lock and Num Lock) reflect the status of the computer being controlled

Keyboard macros – record a sequence of keystrokes that can then be run by hotkey. Macros can be broadcast to all computers, played on the system being controlled, or tied to a particular computer

Key bindings – permanently bind a key to another key on a specified system

The only critique I could give of Input Director is that the interface looks dated… but seriously, once it’s configured you won’t need to touch it so that’s a very minor gripe. Input Director is free for personal use and has the broadest set of options available. Unless you’re in a multi-OS setup it’s the clear winner as far as I’m concerned.

Update: As you can see in the first comment below ShareMouse is a beta product (though I couldn’t find it labelled as such on their website). Again, is was the one I’d settled on previously and is a great product. Well they left a note in the comments stating that they’ll be adding many of the features of Input Director and noted a few features that make them stand out. Hopefully they’ll let me know when it’s out of beta and I’ll re-evaluate at that time. Thanks for dropping by ShareMouse team!

About Paul Spoerry

I’m a groovy cat who’s into technology, Eastern Thought, and house music. I’m a proud and dedicated father to the coolest little guy on the planet (seriously, I'm NOT biased). I’m fascinated by ninjas, the Internet, and anybody who can balance objects on their nose for long periods of time.

I have a utility belt full of programming languages and a database of all my knowledge on databases... I practice code fu. Oh, I've also done actual Kung Fu, and have a black belt in Tae Kwon Do.

Synergy works. It could be not so install-and-play BUT:
is it free; may be is the only alternative to share mouse/keyborad among windows, linux and macos systems.

1) My workstation is windows;
2) a second pc is a linux acting as console and servers monitoring station;
3) i have a macbook pro. When linked to the same lan I can use same windows’s mouse and keyboard to control everything!

and that’s awesome!
Try to spend that three minutes configuring synergy. it worth!

No, it doesn’t share screens. You could always use remote desktop. If you’re on Windows check the admin toolkit, it has a remote desktop client with a treeview on the left so you can have multiple “screens” within one window and still have your current PC taskbar.

It’s tough to trust the reviews of these software KVMs when the reviewer couldn’t get something as simple as Synergy running. It literally takes 5 minutes. You specify the PC with the KB/M as the server, and you tell Synergy the location of the client PC monitors in relation to the server monitor, ie, screen 2 is to the left of screen 1. The only “tricky” part, is you also have to specify that screen 1 is to the right of screen 2, otherwise your mouse will be able to travel over to screen 2, but won’t know how to get back.

Synergy may not have worked for me because of my environment: Work machine on the left is always connected over VPN with software firewalls, specific security policies in place on the machine and all that jazz, while the machine on the right sits on my home network. That MAY have been the issue, or maybe not. As I stated above, ALL the other packages simply “worked”; Synergy didn’t.

My needs were met by other packages so why would spend my time figuring out what the problem with Synergy was? My review didn’t say that Synergy was a piece of crap – only that I couldn’t make it work in a click, click, done fashion. My reply to SauZheR clearly stated that I was happy it worked for him (again, I didn’t flame it), but that the other solutions met my needs without any hassle.

I was using Synergy until now to share keyboard and mouse between an Windows PC and a Mac. It was working fine, it has a GUI for Windows, and for OSX there’s a QuickSynergy app that can save you from the pain of setting it up (it really is complicated, it involves manually editing a text file with some settings, and manually starting the server).

And I decided to give ShareMouse a try, being the only one that can work with Mac and Windows.

And guess what.. it took me around 2 minutes to install and make it work for both computers. I didn’t have to set anything, just having both computers connected to the same network was enough, it configured them automatically.

Also, as opposed to Synergy which could only share one-way (one computer was a server, and the other was a client and shared the 1st one’s keyboard and mouse) ShareMouse work both ways (both keyboards/mice work on both computers) kind of like MouseWithoutBorders.

Great reviews, I have struggled with Synergy for years. When it works it’s awesome – when it doesn’t it is a struggle! I found Sharemouse and was Amazed at how easy it was. However; after 30 days, a message popped up saying my trial was over (I am a teacher and was using to manage the mac and pc on my desk – it is NOT free if you attach to a managed network). I now use quicksynergy to make the mac and pc work together, but it is no where near as seemless as Sharemouse. Will try inputdirector based upon your recomendation to link my old XP machine and win7 machines together smoothly.
Thank you

If you’re asking if you can be on computer 1 and mouse sharing with computer 2, and computer 1 remotes into computer 3 can C1 control C3 then the answer is yes for ShareMouse (new version released, review coming soon) and Input Director.

Thanks Paul for your response. I am actually looking to control all machines at a time based on mouse position, but not individually.

Eg: C1, C2, C3 machines.

Scenario 1:
1. In all machines i have installed software. I can control all the three machines with 1 mouse and keyboard by using/moving them across.

Scenario 2:
2. I can control all three machines with ALL mode(MWB) based on mouse position. Here my mouse/keyboard will be only used in C1 machine, based on position, it will do similar action in other machines like C1 and C2

Scenario 3:
1. Here i have C1 and C3(remotely opened in C2)
2. Based on mouse position i cannot control C1 and C3 in All mode
3. Both C1 and C3 are being controlled separately with 1 mouse and keyboard

Thanks Paul for your response. I am actually looking to control all machines at a time based on mouse position, but not individually.

Eg: C1, C2, C3 machines.

Scenario 1:
1. In all machines i have installed software. I can control all the three machines with 1 mouse and keyboard by using/moving them across.

Scenario 2:
2. I can control all three machines with ALL mode(MWB) based on mouse position. Here my mouse/keyboard will be only used in C1 machine, based on position, it will do similar action in other machines like C1 and C2

Scenario 3: Which i am looking for solution for this scenario

1. Here i have C1 and C3(remotely opened in C2)
2. Based on mouse position i cannot control C1 and C3 in All mode
3. Both C1 and C3 are being controlled separately with 1 mouse and keyboard

I will look into features in ShareMouse, will be waiting for your review

Can I boot up multiple pc’s with one keyboard and mouse with any of these applications. Right now I have Synergy when machines are running. But if Ihave to reboot one tha tis not the masert I have to dig around and get the connected keyboad to log in after doing a cold boot.

ShareMouse is no longer free. It will cost you $50 if you have basic software installed or more than 2 screens and wish to control 2 pcs. (They classify you based on how many monitors and what software you have)

This is more expensive than even the stardock product, so I won’t even bother giving it a trial based on this stupid classification model.

I’m wondering though in spite of all these software kvm solutions; why isnt’ there a hardware solution for example a single wireless keyboard and mouse with several small nano recivers equipped with a switch on the mouse & keyboard to flip from one machine to another? One would then only have to slip a nano receiver into each machine that needs to be controlled by the mouse and keyboard.

After reading the comments from Sharemouse I went to have a look, they wanted $75 for a 3 computer setup (even though I don’t use my computer for professional use), it’s 24.95 for each pc you want to control (total rip off) and the software examines what programs you run on your computer to see if you should be paying.